The Three Weissmanns of Westport

Sisters Miranda, an impulsive but successful literary agent, and Annie, a pragmatic library director, quite unexpectedly find themselves the middle-aged products of a broken home. Dumped by her husband of nearly 50 years and then exiled from their elegant New York apartment by his mistress, their mother, Betty, is forced to move to a small, run-down Westport, Connecticut, beach cottage owned by her wealthy and generous cousin Lou.

I gave up listening after 60 minutes. The characters failed to evolve or deviate in any way from a very predictable story line. The narrator also spoke very slowly - bringing the already sluggish story to a near complete halt. I can't recommend this book.

Skink - No Surrender

Classic Malley - to avoid being shipped off to boarding school, she takes off with some guy she met online. Poor Richard - he knows his cousin’s in trouble before she does. Wild Skink - he’s a ragged, one-eyed ex-governor of Florida, and enough of a renegade to think he can track Malley down. With Richard riding shotgun, the unlikely pair scour the state, undaunted by blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets, and giant gators.

I greatly enjoy Carl Haissen's wit and social / political commentary. I pre-ordered this book without reading that it's intended audience is YA. Now, I enjoy well-written books regardless of genre, but this one is so watered down that I didn't like spending time with this one.

Tears of the Jaguar: A Novel

When a sudden rainstorm disrupts an archeological dig at a remote Mayan site, site supervisor Deborah Miller makes an astonishing discovery: a collection of rubies so precious that generations of men have died - and killed - to possess them. Some believe the jewels harbor occult power; others believe they are the key to the arms race; still others see merely their potential for profit. But Deborah doesn’t want power or money - she only wants the truth.

I bought this as a "deal of the day" and I regret the purchase. The plot is needlessly complicated and far fetched. The narrator is a slow speaker, combined with the glacial pace of the plot, I actually moved the narration speed on my ipod up to 2x to muscle through the end.

The Martian

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"

The story is well paced and written with humor. The narrator did a great job bringing the protagonist to life. I enjoyed every minute and would definitely listed to more from this author and narrator. A credit well spent.

11-22-63: A Novel

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

Exile

David Wolfe's life is approaching an exhilarating peak: a successful San Francisco lawyer, he's about to get married and has been primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and he hears the voice of Hana Arif, the Palestinian woman with whom he had a passionate affair in law school, he begins a completely unexpected journey. The day after Hana's call, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by a suicide bomber - and soon Hana is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder.

After spending 7 hours with this story, I gave up. The author tries to cram so much back story from several characters - through flashbacks - into the story that the plot looses all forward momentum. I found it a frustrating listen - lots of details that failed to come together to create a compelling story. I wish I had chosen another title from this author.

Brisingr: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 3

Oaths sworn . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide. Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.

I was truly disappointed in Brisingr. The pacing of the book is so slow, I actually set the reading speed from "normal" to "fast" on my iPod just to get through the material more quickly. Don't waste hours of your listening time. Skip this book and wait for the next release - the author always recaps a bit of the plot from the earlier books. There are more interesting / better plotted adventure tales out there waiting to be heard. You can comfortably skip this book, even if you enjoyed the earlier two novels. This one does not live up to the Eragon story telling I have come to expect.

The Disappeared: Retrieval Artist, Book 1

Retrieval artists help the lost find their way back home, whether they like it or not. Specialized private detectives, they investigate the most unusual crimes in the galaxy. But Miles Flint isn't a retrieval artist. He's just a cop, trying to do his job.

I'm really lukewarm on this title. The narrator was good & tried to do his best with the material. But the plot pacing & the "revelations" were very uneven. It was frustrating listening at times as details were slowly parceled out. This is the first book of a series and I have no interest in following it further.

The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1

Nathaniel is eleven-years-old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional art of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells far beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him.

I enjoyed Bartimaeus' witty & sarcastic voice in this book. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters to life - particularly the djinni Bartimaeus. I found myself smiling at the dialogue and mainly amused by the plot. I plan on happily listening to all three parts of this trilogy.

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

All children mythologize their birth... So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter's beloved collection of stories, long famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale. The enigmatic Winter has always kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she summons a biographer to tell the truth about her extraordinary life: Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth remains an ever-present pain.

The Thirteenth Tale is a story that really benefits from being read aloud. The two narrators help bring bring the two primary female characters to life. At times the subplots can seem to wonder, but trust the author to bring everything to a satisfying and cogent conclusion.

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